Have 2-child norm for all, or Hindus should bear 3-4 kids: VHP

Jan 20, 2015, 05:19 IST
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PTI

VHP today backed the view that all Hindu women should bear four children and also sought to justify the remark by a seer that each Hindu family should have 10 children, saying it was made in the context of the "demographic imbalance being created in the country"

New Delhi: VHP today backed the view that all Hindu women should bear four children and also sought to justify the remark by a seer that each Hindu family should have 10 children, saying it was made in the context of the "demographic imbalance being created in the country".

The right-wing body said that the country should either have a two-child norm for all communities or Hindu families should each have three-to-four children. It also called for the Uniform Civil Code to be applied in India. "I don't agree with Hindus having 10 children, but every Hindu family should have 3-4 children... or there should be a two-child norm for all communities.

"There should not be implementation of one-sided or lop- sided policies... There is a secular demand that a common civil code should be applied in the country," said VHP joint general secretary, Surendra Jain.

In the light of comments by Swami Vasudevananda Saraswati, a seer known to be close to RSS, that there was "no harm in Hindus producing even 10 children", Jain said that the remark "was made in the context of demographic imbalance being created in the country".

"One should understand the context in which it is stated. The way demographic imbalance is taking place, it is not just a matter of concern for the country but the entire world. It seems due to demographic imbalance what happened in Kashmir Valley can be repeated anywhere in the country. That is why this issue is being raised," he said.

Jain's reference was to Kashmir Valley having a majority Muslim population. The right-wing organisation also said it will carry on with its agenda of 'Ghar Wapsi' and that nothing could deter it from doing so as it has been continuing with it for many years now.

However, it clarified that its agenda was not against the government. "Our issues are not based on support or opposition of any government. If government supports us, well and good, but our issues will continue. Our issues are not meant to make or break any government. This government is doing its work. We have no issues with it. There is no clash... Their agenda is different, ours is different," said Jain.

Justifying 'Ghar Wapsi', he said that through it, VHP "only reconnects people with their roots" and does not want to get into the race of allurements by bringing people back to the religion of their forefathers.

"It (Ghar Wapsi) is a sign of progressiveness, it is not a regressive trend," Jain said. On the issue of conversions, the VHP joint general secretary claimed that Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat have laws on conversion under which 'Ghar Wapsi' is allowed.

Citing the example of Kashmir Valley, Surendra Jain said that in certain districts in states like Assam, Bengal and Bihar, demographic imbalances were emerging. He, meanwhile, also referred to Mahatma Gandhi and noted yesteryears' novelist Acharya Gurudutt saying that both of them were against conversion.

He also lashed out at opposition parties in Parliament for making 'Ghar Wapsi' a major issue during its recently- concluded winter session. The opposition parties used it as a issue to prevent Parliament from working smoothly, he said.

"For them, the issue is not conversion, but finding issues to stall Parliament," Jain said.